Drive mechanism for mainspring-driven dynamo-electrical shot firing or ignition machines



Nov- 15, 1955 K. SCHAFFLER-GLGSSL 3,

DRIVE MECHANISM FOR MAINSPRING-DRIVEN DYNAMO-ELECTRICAL SHOT FIRING ORIGNITION MACHINES Filed NOV. 1, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet l l I 9/0 901 11 8c19 8b a z 24 16 8a 2301 21 5 7 24a 28 26 I5 7 1 5a I 1; I 1 120 f 2i'IIL 25a 23b 27 14 25 a M l/VVE/VTOI? KON/PHD sew/ ay? -6L 5$$LHTTOE/VEHJ K. SCHAFFLER-GLOSSL 2,723,727

FOR MAINSPRING D EN DYNAMO-ELECTRICAL FIRING 0R IGNIT MACHINEs RIV ION

Nov. 15, 1955 DRIVE MECH 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 1, 1952 INVENTORKO/VRHD SCHHFFLER-GLOSSL HTTOR/VEYS United States Patent 0 DRIVEMECHANISM FOR MAlNSPRlNG-DRIVEN DYNAMO-ELECTRICAL SHOT FIRING 0R IGNI- 5TION MACHINES Konrad Schafiler-Gliissl, Vienna, Austria ApplicationNovember 1, 1952, Serial No. 318,284 Claims priority, applicationAustria March 25, 1952 7 Claims. (Cl. 185-37) This invention relates tomainspring-driven, dynamoelectrical shot firing or ignition machines,more particular to the drive mechanism, comprising the Winding andrelease means, of such machines, especially of machines of the type inwhich the release of the mainspring before the complete winding thereofis prevented by two control members which are arranged between thewinding device and the mainspring, and which can be coupled with eachother for rotation only after going through a backlash, the first ofthese control members being connected to the winding mechanism by meansof a unilaterally acting clutch, e. g., a freewheel ratchet (cf. theapplicants Austrian Patent No. 127,618 and U. S. Patent No. 1,788,892)whereas the second, loose control member, which is driven by impact asthe spring is running down, operates a rotary wiping contact device toproduce ignition current pulses of the shortest possible duration (cf.the applicants Austrian Patent No. 166,937 and U. S. Patent No.2,563,494).

In the known ignition machines, e. g., of the type described above, thebearing provided for the winding pin where it extends out of the casingis exposed to soiling and oxidation so that the pin, which is driven athigh speed by the spring gear after the mainspring has been released,may be seized or may at least consume such an amount of driving power,owing to the high friction, that the ignition machine is no longercapable of delivering suflicient electric power and the electric firingof the blasting shots may fail.

To avoid this drawback, the invention provides between the winding pinand the spring winding shaft a clutch, which is disconnectedautomatically, e. g., positively, before the released mainspring isrunning down. As a result the winding pin is at rest as the spring isrunning down. Preferably the winding and firing pins of the ignitionmachine are positively coupled in such a 0 manner that upon operation ofthe firing pin in the releasing sense the coupling between the windingpin and the spring gear is released, as well as the pawl locking thelatter e. g., a transmitting member may be provided, which is firmlyconnected for rotation with the firing pin of the ignition machine andlocks the firing pin during the winding operation whereas after themainspring has been wound completely said transmitting member unlocksthe firing pin and effects the positive coupling of the firing pin withthe winding pin.

Preferably the winding pin of the ignition machine has pivotallyarranged thereon the locking and releasing pawl for the spring gear, aswell as a train of two gears which are in constant mesh and one of whichis firmly mounted on the winding pin for rotation therewith. These gearsmay be connected to said pawl by a coupling of thedelayed-positive-action type, which initially acts by nonpositive andlater by positive engagement. The connecting member of the train ofgears is in engagement with the transmitting member of the firing pin. Arotary cam, consisting, e. g., of the loose control member mentionedhereinbefore, may serve as an engaging member to lock the transmittingmember against movement in the releasing sense until a recess in the rimof the cam permits said movement.

Thus it is a feature of the invention to provide in a drive mechanismfor a dynamoelectrical ignition machine which comprises a mainspring, awinding pin, a winding shaft connected to the mainspring, and mainspringrelease means, the combination of a clutch interposed between saidwinding pin and said winding shaft, and clutch operating meansinterposed between said mainspring release means and said clutch andoperable to disengage said clutch, said mainspring release means beingmovable to a position in which it is operative to operate said clutchoperating means to disengage said clutch and to a position in which itis operative to release said mainspring to permit it to run down whilethe winding pin is disconnected from the winding shaft.

The firing pin may be movable out of a position of rest preferably firstto a position in which it is operative to operate said clutch operatingmeans to disengage said clutch, and preferably thereafter to a positionin which it is operative to move said locking pawl out of engagementwith said ratchet to release said mainspring, and thus to effectdisconnection of the winding pin from the winding shaft preferably priorto the release of the mainspring.

The transmitting member may carry means cooperating with the windingshaft to lock the firing pin against rotation in the releasing senseexcept when the winding shaft is in a position corresponding to thecompletely wound condition of the mainspring.

An embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, inwhich 7 Fig. l is a schematic, perspective overall view showing theparts necessary to understand the invention,

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of thetransmitting member connected to the firing pin, and

Figs. 3 and 4 are top plan views illustrating the winding and releasemeans comprising the transmitting member of Fig. 2, in the positionsafter the complete winding and after the release of the mainspring,respectively.

A shaft 1 is carried in a bearing block of the casing of the ignitionmachine. This bearing block is indicated only by the several bearingpoints. Near its lower journal the shaft 1 is provided with the drive orspring gear 2, and with a ratchet 3 rigid therewith. The armature pinion4 of the ignition dynamo (not shown) is in permanent mesh with thespring gear 2. A sleeve 5, which is loosely passed on the shaft 1 andcan be coupled only in one sense of rotation with the shaft 1 and thespring gear 2 by means of a freewheel ratchet 6, has a control cam 7,constituting the first control member, which only after going through anamount of backlash engages with the coupling pin 8a of a cam 8constituting the second control member and freely rotatably mounted onthe sleeve 5 over the control cam 7. The cam 8 is coupled by means ofits driving pin 8b with the rotary part 9a of the totally encased,disk-type ignition current instantaneous switch 9, which is looselyfitted on the sleeve 5. The means to prevent rotation of the switch 9are indicated at 91:. At the flattened top end 5a of the sleeve 5 a hub10a is fitted, which is connected to the inner end of the mainspring 10.The outer end of the spring is connected to the spring case (not shown),which is rigid with the casing of the ignition machine. The winding pin11, which is rotatable in the bearing block of the casing of theignition machine, has keyed to it a winding gear 12, which is inpermanent toothed mesh with a second gear of the same size, which iscarried in connecting straps 14 whereby the two gears are combined toform a gear train pivotally movable about the winding pin 11. Of thistrain the gear 13, which can be swivelled on the winding pin and willhereinafter be referred to as swivel gear," can be moved into and out ofmesh with the spring gear 2.

Above the upper connecting strap 14 the locking and releasing pawl 15for the ratchet 3, rigid with the spring gear 2, is pivoted on thewinding pin 11. A coil spring 16, wound about the winding pin 11 andconnected at one end to the pawl 15, on the other end to the bearingblock, tends to maintain the pawl 15 in engagement with this ratchet 3.The approximately wedge-shaped locking pawl 15 has fixed to its widerend, remote from the engaging nose 15a, a coupling spring 17, which whenthe pawl is in engagement bears with its free end on a stop pin 18,which protrudes on both sides from the top connecting strap 14. Thus thestrap 14 represents a two-armed lever pivotally mounted on winding pin11 and carrying on one arm the second gear 13 of gear train 12, 13.Lever 14 is operable to move gear 13 into and out of engagement withspring gear 2. Between the other arm of lever 14 and pawl 15 thecoupling spring 17 is interposed. When the pawl 15 is in engagement withratchet 3, the coil spring 16 urges through the in termediary of pawl15, coupling spring 17 and lever 14 the gear 13 into mesh with springgear 2. A forked transmitting member 20, which in the overallperspective view of Fig. l is shown in a schematic form differing fromthe actual design, in order that all parts can be made visible, whereasa practical embodiment of said member is shown in the perspective viewof Fig. 2 and in Figs. 3 and 4, is in engagement with this stop pin 18.This transmitting member 20 is firmly connected for rotation with thefiring pin 19. A coil spring 21, the spring force of which considerablyexceeds that of the spring 16 arranged on the winding pin 11 and whichis inserted between the bearing block and the transmitting member 20(cf. Figs. 1 and 2) tends to hold the firing pin 19 in its inoperativeposition. The transmitting member 20 is fixed to the firing pin 19 bymeans of two screws 22 (Fig. 2) passing through its shorter prong 20a,which is concentrically rounded at its front end. A pin 23 (Figs. 2 to4) passing through the longer prong 20b parallel to the axis of thetransmitting member, has linked to each of its ends a follower 24 and25, respectively, each of which has a shorter arm and a longer aim. Theshorter arm of each of said followers 24 and 25 is urged by a coilspring 24a and 25a, respectively, fixed on the respective end of the pin23, against a stop 26 and 27, respectively, protruding from therespective face of the transmitting member 20. In the schematic Fig. 1the pin 23 is replaced by two pins 23a, 23b, of the two followers 24 and25, the release checking follower 24 cooperates with the rim of theloose control cam 8, which has a recess 80, and the engagement checkingfollower 25 cooperates with the hub 12a of the winding gear 12 of theswivelled gear train 12, 13. The follower 25 is adapted to engage thehub 12a with an end face, or with a side face less spaced from itspivotal axis than said end face. Due to the action of spring 21 thefollower 24 in the position of rest of firing pin 19 (Fig. 1) isslightly disengaged from cam 8.

When the device is in its position of rest, the locking pawl 15 and thegear train 12, 13, as shown in Fig. 4, are secured in their disengagedposition by the engagement checking follower 25 of the transmittingmember 20 mounted on the firing pin 19, said follower 25 under theaction of the spring 21 of the firing pin 19 bearing against the hub 12aof the winding gear 12 with its end face. When the winding pin 11 isrotated in the clockwise sense by means of a suitable key, the end faceof the engagement checking follower 25 will be deprived first of itssupport on the hub 12a of the winding gear 12 so that the locking pawl15 and the gear train 12, 13 are now brought in mesh with the gear rimsof the.

ratchet 3 and the spring gear 2, respectively, by the spring 16 wound onthe winding pin 11.

When the gear train 12, 13 is in mesh with the spring gear 2 (Fig. 3), aplane extending through the axes of rotation of the two gears 12 and 13is at an acute angle with the tangential plane to the point ofengagement of the swivel gear 13 with the spring gear 2 so that theforce applied for winding promotes the toothed mesh of the swivel gear13 with the spring gear 2. A stop 14a, which may be fixed to the bearingblock, cooperates with the connecting strap 14 to prevent a swivelmovement of the swivel gear 13 beyond the position determining thisangle, which corresponds to the most favorable meshing conditions. Asthe turning of the winding pin 11 is continued, the spring gear 2 andthe ratchet 3 are turned through the gear train 12, 13, and through theintermediary of the freewheel ratchet 6 the sleeve 5 surrounding thespring gear shaft 1 is turned in the clockwise sense as well as thecontrol cam 7 and the hub 5a, and with it the inner end of themainspring 10. Thus the spring is wound up, the locking pawl 15 engagingwith the ratchet 3 to prevent a turning back of the spring gear 2 underthe force of the increasingly strained mainspring 10. During the windingoperation the control cam 7, after going through a backlash, drives thecoupling pin 8a of the loose control cam 8, and the latter drivesthrough the driving pin 8]) the rotary part 9a of the ignition currentinstantaneous switch, until the spring 10 has been wound completely.Initially the solid rim of the loose rotary control cam 8 cooperatingwith the release checking follower 24 prevents a clockwise pivotalmovement of the transmitting member 21) fixed on the firing pin 19. Onlywhen the spring 10 has been wound completely does the release checkingfollower 24 face the recess 8c of the loose control cam 8 to permit ofthe turning of the transmitting member 20, the locking of the firing pinthus being removed.

To fire the shots, the firing pin 19 is turned in the clockwise sense bymeans of the operating key against the force of the coil spring 21.Being in engagement with the stop pin 18 of the upper connecting strap14 of the winding gear train 12, 13, the transmitting member 20 of thefiring pin 19 then swivels the gear train 12, 13 in the anticlockwisesense. During this operation the engagement checking follower 25 of thetransmitting member 20 is pivotally moved against the force of thespring 25a, which urges the rear end of the follower 25 toward the stop27. Thus the follower 25 first slides with its concavely curved sidepast the hub of the winding gear 12. As the connecting straps 14 of thegear train 12, 13 are pivotally moved, the swivel gear 13 is firstbrought out of mesh with the spring gear 2, and after the strongcoupling spring 17 has been deformed the locking pawl 15 is also liftedby impact out of the ratchet 3. It is thus seen that the transmittingmember 20 represents a pawl-actuating member movable from an initialposition (Fig. 1) in the clockwise sense (when seen from the top) to asecond position in which it is operative to move through theintermediary of lever 14 the gear 13 out of mesh with spring gear 2(Fig. 3), and to a third position in which it is operative to operatepawl 15 for releasing the mainspring to permit the latter to run downwhile winding pin 11 is disconnected from winding shaft 1. Spring 21represents resilient means arranged to urge pawl actuating member 20towards said initial position. Cam 8 is a control member mounted onwinding shaft 1 for rotation thereby into and out of the range ofpawl-actuating member 20. When cam 8 is in said range it limits themovement of pawl actuating member 20 in the clockwise or pawldisengaging sense from the initial position of Fig. 1 before thepositions of Figs. 3 and 4. The parts are secured in this position bythe engagement of the end face of the engagement checking follower 25with the hub 12a of the winding gear 12, as has been describedhereinbefore.

Running down the main. spring" byiiiieansz of itssinner end and throughthe intermediary of the. hair 5a the sleeve 5, and throughthe'freewheel: 6,. which is now locked, turns the spring gear 2 in: ananticlockwise sense, to drive the drive pinion 4' of. the ignitiondynamo.

After going through the. backlash provided, the control cam 7 meets thepin 8aof the loose control cam 8-, which is thrown forward at high speedtogether with the movable part 9a of the instantaneous switch connectedtherewith by the pin 8b,. as has been described in my U. S. Patent No.2,563,494. A buffer spring 28 cushions the slowing down'control cam 8.

When the operating key is pushed again on the winding pin 11 and thelatter isturned to some extent in the clockwise sense, the engagement.checking follower 25 of the transmitting member 20 mountedon the firingpin 19 is turned over (see Fig. 3), whereuponv the locking pawl 15 andthe winding gear. train 12,. 13 are moved by the spring 16 from theirouter position of rest. back into their position of engagementwith theratchet 3- and the spring gear 2, respectively, so that the mainspringcan be wound up again.

I claim:

1. In a drive mechanism for a dynamo-electrical ignition machine whichcomprises a mainspring, av winding pin, a winding shaft connected tothe. mainspring, a ratchet and a spring gear mounted on said windingshaft, and a firing pin, the combination of alocking pawlmounted on saidwinding pin and associated with said ratchet, a train of two gears inpermanent mesh, one of which is fixed on the winding pin, swivel meanspivotally connecting the second gear of said train to said winding pinand adapted to move said second gear into engagement with said springgear, coupling means coupling said swivel means and said locking pawl, atransmitting member firmly connected for rotation with said firing pinand in engagement with said swivel means, a rotary cam having in its rima recess, said rotary cam being in cooperation with said transmittingmember to stop the same in a position in which said second gear of saidtrain is free to engage said spring gear and said pawl is free to engagesaid ratchet, except when said cam faces said transmitting member withsaid recess, the transmitting member in the latter position of saidrotary cam being operable to move said swivel means into a position inwhich said second gear is held out of engagement with said spring gearto disconnect the winding pin from said winding shaft, and to move saidlocking pawl through the intermediary of said coupling means out ofengagement with said ratchet, to release said mainspring.

2. In a dynamoelectrical ignition machine which comprises a mainspring,a winding pin, a winding shaft, a first control member, aunilateral-action clutch connecting said first control member to saidsaid winding shaft, a ratchet and a spring gear mounted on said windingshaft, and a firing pin, the combination of a second control memberloosely mounted on said winding shaft and consisting of a rotary camhaving in its rim a recess, means to couple said two control memberswith substantial backlash, the mainspring being adapted to operate saidfirst control member to drive said second control member by impact,rotary wiping contact means directly connected to said second controlmember, a locking pawl mounted on said winding pin and associated withsaid ratchet, a train of two gears in permanent mesh, one of which isfixed on the winding pin, swivel means pivotally connecting the secondgear of said train to said winding pin and adapted to move said secondgear into engagement with said spring gear, coupling means coupling saidswivel means and said locking pawl, a transmitting member firmlyconnected for rotation with said firing pin and in engagement with saidswivel means, said rotary cam being in cooperation with saidtransmitting member to stop the same in a position in which said secondgear of said train is free to engage said spring gear andsaid pawl isfree. to engage said ratchet, except when said cam faces saidtransmittingmember. with said recess, the transmitting member in thelatter position of said rotary cam being operable to move said swivelmeans into a position in which said second gear is held out of.engagement with said spring gear'to disconnect the winding pin from saidwinding shaft, and to move said locking pawl through the intermediary ofsaid coupling means out of engagement with said ratchet, to release saidmainspring.

3. In a drive mechanism for a dynamo-electrical ignition machine whichcomprises a mainspring, a winding pin, a winding shaft connected to themainspring, a ratchet and a spring gear mounted on said winding shaft,and. a firing pin, the combination of a locking pawl mounted on saidwinding pin and associated with. said ratchet, a train of two gears inpermanent mesh, one of which has a hub fixed to the winding pin, swivelmeans pivotally connecting the second gear of said train to said windingpin and adapted to move said. second gear into engagement with saidspring gear, coupling means coupling said swivel means and said lockingpawl, a transmitting member firmly connected for rotation with saidfiring pin and in engagement with said swivel means, a rotary cam havingin its rim a recess, two followers pivotally mounted on saidtransmitting member, each of said followers having a shorter arm and alonger arm, a stop fixed on said transmitting member adjacent to each ofsaid followers, a spring connected to each of said followers to urge theshorter arm thereof toward the respective stop, said rotary camcooperating with one of said followers to stop the transmitting memberin a position in which said second gear of said train is free to engagesaid spring gear and said pawl is free to engage said ratchet, exceptwhen facing said follower with said recess, the transmitting member inthe latter position of said rotary cam being operable to move saidswivel means into a position in which said second gear is held out ofengagement with said spring gear to disconnect the winding pin from saidwinding shaft, and to move said locking pawl through the intermediary ofsaid coupling means out of engagement with said ratchet, to release saidmainspring, the hub of said first gear of said train being incooperation with the other of said followers, which has an end face anda side face less spaced from its pivotal axis than said end face, saidsecond follower being adapted to engage said hub with said end face tohold the transmitting member in a position in which the latter throughthe intermediary of said swivel means and coupling means holds saidlocking pawl out of engagement with said ratchet and through theintermediary of said swivel means holds said second gear of said trainout of engagement with said spring gear, said second follower beingmovable into a position in which said side face engages said hub toprovide freedom of movement for the transmitting member to move into aposition in which the locking pawl is free to move into engagement withsaid ratchet and said swivel means is free to move said second gear ofsaid train into engagement with said spring gear.

4. The combination of claim 3, in which said transmitting membercomprises two prongs, one of which engages said swivel means and theother of which carries said followers.

5. In a drive mechanism for a dynamo-electrical ignition machine whichcomprises a mainspring, a winding pin, a winding shaft connected to themainspring, a spring gear on said winding shaft, and mainspring releasemeans. the combination of a train of two gears in permanent mesh, one ofwhich is fixed on the winding pin, swivel means pivotally connecting thesecond gear of said train to said winding pin and adapted to move saidsecond gear into engagement with said spring gear, gear disengagingmeans interposed between said mainspring release means and said swivelmeans and operable to move said second gear of said train out ofengagement with said spring gear, said mainspring release means beingmovable to a position in which it is operative to operate said geardisengaging means to move said second gear out of engagement with saidspring gear, and a stationary stop in the path of said swivel means andadapted to limit the movement of said second gear beyond a position ofengagement with said spring gear, the axes of rotation of said gears ofsaid train lying in a plane which in said position of engagement is atan acute angle with a tangential plane to the point of engagement ofsaid second gear with said spring gear.

6. In a drive mechanism for a dynamo-electrical ignition machine, whichcomprises a mainspring, a winding pin, a winding shaft connected to themainspring, a pawl operable to release said mainspring, a clutchinterposed between said winding pin and winding shaft, and clutchoperating means operable to disengage said clutch, the combination of apawl actuating member movable from an initial position in a pawldisengaging sense to a second position in which it is operative tooperate said clutch operating means to disengage said clutch, and to athird position in which it is operative to operate said pawl forreleasing said mainspring to permit the latter to run down while thewinding pin is disconnected from the winding shaft, resilient meansarranged to urge said pawl actuating member toward said initialposition, and a control member mounted on said winding shaft forrotation thereby into and out of the range of said pawl actuating memberand when in said range limiting the movement of said pawl actuatingmember from said initial position in said pawl disengaging sense beforesaid third position.

7. In a drive'mechan'ism for a dynamo-electrical ignition machine, whichcomprises a mainspring, a winding pin, a winding shaft connected to themainspring, a ratchet and a spring gear fast on said winding shaft, anda train of two-gears in permanent mesh, one of which is fixed on thewinding pin, the combination of a locking pawl rotatably mounted on saidwinding pin adjacent to said ratchet, a two-armed lever pivotallymounted on said winding pin and carrying on one arm the second gear ofsaid train, said lever being operable to move said second gear into andout of engagement with said spring gear, a coupling spring interposedbetween said pawl and the other arm of said lever, a spring arranged tourge said pawl into engagement with said ratchet and to urge when thepawl is in engagement with said ratchet said second gear into mesh withsaid spring gear through the intermediary of said pawl, said couplingspring and said lever, and pawl actuating means operable to move saidpawl out of engagement with said ratchet and to move through theintermediary of said lever said second gear out of mesh with said springgear.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,316,168 Lehman Sept. 16, 1919 1,502,671 Hillmer July 29, 19241,788,892 Glossl Jan. 13, 1931 1,936,554 Lansing Nov. 21, 1933

